Are Six Pack Abs Made in the Kitchen?

There is a common phrase thrown around in the fitness world, “Abs are made in the kitchen”

Some people believe this statement and others think it’s complete bullshit. But the real kicker is that both sides of the argument are partially correct.

Here’s what they’re trying to say:

“Abs are made in the kitchen”

-Translation: If you eat healthy you will lose fat which will make your abs show.

versus.

“Abs are made in the gym”

-Translation: You need to train abs and build muscle in order to see them.

Both sides are catching on to something. If they had a little more common sense they would see it clearly.

Are abs really made in the kitchen?

Yes and No.

To get six pack abs you need two things:

1. You need to have big enough abdominal muscles to show.

2. You need to be lean enough to see your abdominal muscles.

There are plenty of skinny guys who don’t have prominent abs. This is because they haven’t built them up through training in the gym. You need to train abs like any other muscle group.

On the flip side, there are plenty of muscular guys who don’t have visible abs. This is because they have too much body fat and fat around their stomach. In order for those abs to show, they need to lose weight.

To have six pack abs you need to be low in body fat, (roughly 15% or less) and to have trained them long enough for them to be there when the fat is gone.

Genetically some guys already have abs when they’re skinny even without working out. Other guys like me, actually had to train their abs to a degree.

I didn’t have to train my abs for years to get them to show. In all honesty you probably only need a few months to build them up. But that doesn’t mean you should stop training them after that. Your abs assist you on many lifting movements like the squat, bench press and even deadlift. If you have a weak core you should be training them, period.

Any ab exercises are good, you can use bodyweight, dumbbells or even ab machines at the gym. As long as you are slowly going up in weight or reps, you’ll see results.

Without sounding redundant:

The first step to getting abs is getting lean and losing fat. You won’t see your abs if you’re overweight and carry a significant amount of fat on your stomach. (no matter how much you train them)

The second step is to train them consistently at least 2 times a week. Like I said, some guys have it lucky and have great abs even without training them. So the first step is the most important but ab training isn’t difficult in the first place. You’re lazy if you’re not training abs.

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